At the Beach!

Today I started a new piece called “At the Beach!” with Gail Stafford. Wouldn’t you know that I had to paint again? This time it was with acrylic paint and brushes. Luckily, I tom-sawyered the teacher into using my canvas as an example. It looked gorgeous until I took over to finish it.

You will see that tonight I have many loose threads on my canvas — also known as spaghetti. I think I’ll try to tackle some of that before morning.

Sue, Heidi, and I had a delicious lunch at Cafe Allegro — directly across the street from the hotel. Tonight, most of my peeps will be attending the Cyberpointer Chapter meeting and I’ll be on my own.

I don’t think anyone wrote about last night’s opening banquet. It definitely had a New Orleans flavor to it. During happy hour, we were serenaded by a jazz band who then led the “Parade of Stitches” into the banquet hall. Dinner was Chicken Gumbo with Louisiana Rice, Smoked Chicken, Sweet Potatoes and Roasted Squash, and King Cake Ice Cream.

I got separated from the NJNA group and ended up sitting with Tina, Melita, and Brenda. Both Brenda and Melita won awards in the judged exhibit pieces. Melita won a first prize in the Original, Non-Professional category for “Festive Fireworks”. Brenda received second place in the Independent, Non-Professional category for her “Rose Swirls”! Pamela Harding, designer of Serengeti, was also at our table — so I am convinced that I stumbled onto the Rock Star table!

Next year’s Stitch of the Month project is on display in the exhibit and I’d say that it is another winner!

I forgot to write about my solo dinner. When I arrived downstairs at the restaurant there was a wait for a table for one. I got to talking to another woman who was also waiting and was there with Phillips (medical) to take classes on their new ultrasound equipment. As we waited, I learned that she was from Kodiak, Alaska. When the hostess came to say that a table was waiting, we decided to join together for dinner. Cindy was awesome. In the middle of dinner, my friend from earlier seminars, Ann Carol, walked by and decided to join us. It seems that she had met Cindy when she checked into the hotel earlier that day. What a fun, unexpected night! To make it even more serendipitous, later in the week, I met one of Cindy’s friends on the elevator — they were all meeting in NOLA to celebrate their 50th birthdays! So — you never know what’s in store at seminar!